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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Festuca cartagana
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 35–70 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.1–0.3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 7–15 cm long; 2.4–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 15–23 secondary veins; 13–21 inner ridges.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; ovate; 14–22 cm long. Panicle branches smooth.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.7–6.7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned below; with 0.66–0.75 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.3–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.
NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 1995.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.